bumpy

American  

[buhm-pee] / ˈbʌm pi /

adjective

bumpier, bumpiest

1. of uneven surface; full of bumps.

   a bumpy road.

2. full of jolts.

   a bumpy ride.

3. causing jolts.

   Bumpy air shook the airplane.

4. having many difficulties or failures; full of ups and downs.

   He had a rather bumpy career before he settled down in his present job.

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bumpy British  

/ ˈbʌmpɪ /

adjective

1. having an uneven surface

   a bumpy road

2. full of jolts; rough

   a bumpy flight

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Other Word Forms

• bumpily adverb
• bumpiness noun

Etymology

Origin of bumpy

First recorded in 1860–65; bump + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Stocks were mixed Friday as 2026 got off to a bumpy start.

From Barron's

Still, with leadership changes at the US central bank and mounting concerns that AI stocks are overvalued, the path ahead might be bumpy.

From BBC

Skippers of nearly 130 yachts set sail on a "bumpy" Sydney-Hobart ocean race Friday, many scattering rose petals for the Bondi Beach shooting victims as they ventured into rolling seas.

From Barron's

India would have needed up to a week to send additional troops along its bumpy or nonexistent roads.

From The Wall Street Journal

But it is worth believing in a Santa rally—even if it means bracing for a bumpy sleigh ride to get there.

From Barron's

Related Words

• choppy
• jarring
• jerky
• rugged
• rutted
• uneven